Paucity of funds frustrating anti-insurgency war, says Buratai

CHIEF of Army Staff, Lieutenant-general Y usuf Buratai, has said that inadequate funding of military operations is frustrating the fight against insurgency.

Buratai told the Senate Committee on Army yesterday, while defending its 2018 budget, that the same lack of resources was constraining operations of the army to tackle other security challenges confronting the country. According to him, most security challenges could have been successfully tackled if needed resources were made available.

Buratai, who welcomed the suggestion by the committee that the army and other security agencies should be placed on first line charge, noted that “the first line charge advocacy is very important.” On the 2018 budget, he said that the Budget and National Planning office voted N233. 05 billion for the army instead of the N261.67 billion it required. Some critical projects listed include: procurement of drones and aerial reconnaissance center, N2. 5 billion; rehabilitation of barracks N5 billion; procurement of arms and ammunition N4.8 billion; funds for additional three divisions and new operational activation each N1.5 billion, totaling N4.5 billion. Buratai who reassured that the Nigeria Army is committed to the protection of the country’s territorial integrity said that they are working to clear the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents.

He also assured that they would subject themselves to civil authority at all times.

Chairman of the committee, Senator George Akume, said that it was obvious that the army did well in the context of the amount released to it.

Akume said they believed that when fund was re- leased, it should be used in the interest of the country. He informed his colleagues that the meeting would be brief because “the Chief of Army Staff will be rushing to the North East to handle the issue of those who don’t want us to rest.” Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba said that it was wrong for the Federal Government not to release budgeted funds.

He said that findings showed that only 42 per cent of the overhead of 2017 was released.